Packet relay method and device

Abstract

A packet relay method and device in which even in the presence of a relay device between transmitting and receiving devices, a normality of a protection route can be surely confirmed is provided; A specific source address or destination address are registered, and when a route normality confirmation packet having the source address or destination address is received, the packet is transmitted to a protection route regardless of a hash operation; The registering can include link aggregation information in addition to the source address or destination address and the transmitting is made when the route normality confirmation packet consistent with both of the source address or destination address and the link aggregation information is received.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is related to and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-285297, filed on Nov. 1, 2007, in the Japanese Patent Office, and incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field[0003]The present invention relates to a packet relay method and device.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]In a system relaying packets, normally, a redundancy is provided by establishing a protection route in addition to a working (operating) route.[0006]Also, a link aggregation function prescribed on the Ethernet (registered trademark) is a widely utilized technology for the purpose of a bandwidth enhancement and a link redundancy, where a wide area Ethernet service offered by a carrier often uses the link aggregation function for a redundant routing, upon which a so-called one-sided link aggregation is often arranged for aggregating e.g. two physical ports (lines) to a link to restrict a transmission route to a single phys...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a packet relay method and device that can confirm the normality of a protection route even in the presence of a relay device between transmitting and receiving devices. This is achieved by registering a specific source address or destination address and transmitting a route normality confirmation packet to a protection route regardless of a hash operation. The method and device can also automatically delete the source address or destination address after a predetermined time has lapsed and notify the maintenance terminal or network management device of the receiving result of the route normality confirmation packet. The use of a route normality confirmation packet, such as an ARP or ICMP packet, can eliminate the need for manual setting of a source address or destination address and decrease the size of a table storing a source address or destination address. The method and device can confirm the conduction state of a protection route in multiple nodes or devices simultaneously and quickly specify faulted portions. The route confirmation can also be done other than one-sided hash sorting.

Problems solved by technology

Also, in the case shown in FIG. 10, the return route of the ping packet is the same as the main signal packet, whereas since between the devices link aggregations are formed, even though the ping packet is received at a port (working side port D) different from a destination port (protection side port E), one falsely confirms or recognizes due to the one-sided hash sorting that the ping packet has been normally received (step T23), so that it is also disadvantageous in that a normality of the protection route A-2 can not be confirmed.

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